


Of Old Wounds and New Friendships

by AnabelleBlack20



Series: Tony Stark has a Heart [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Apologies, BAMF Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes & Tony Stark Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Civil War Fix-It, Civil War Team Iron Man, Fluff, Forgiveness, Gen, Guilty Steve Rogers, Happy Ending, IronDad and SpiderSon, Irondad, No Steve bashing, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Peter is gonna look out for his Irondad, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Soft Bucky, Steve needs to apologise, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony is an awesome dad, because I adore them, fight me, it will be eventual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23214637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnabelleBlack20/pseuds/AnabelleBlack20
Summary: “He needs to know, Buck,” Steve whispered. “He needs to know how much I regret what I did. Everything. The lying, the fighting... all of it. I don't expect anything. Not after... I just want him to know that I'm sorry. I truly am."Bucky sighed heavily and leaned his head back against the seat.Steve wasn't the only one.A long time ago, Bucky had heard that the only way to heal old wounds is to make peace with your demons. Only in this scenario, he was the demon who had inflicted those wounds.He desperately craved redemption for his sins.The last time he’d seen Tony stark was when he and Steve had left him to die in the cold. And now, they were going to his home.He should be afraid, considering they were going to be living under his roof for the foreseeable future. But all he wanted to do was beg for forgiveness from the very person he was terrified to face.
Relationships: Bucky Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Tony Stark has a Heart [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1350076
Comments: 57
Kudos: 527





	1. Chapter 1

Peter lay on his bed, trying and failing to fall asleep. He'd been lying here since forever and all he'd achieved was boredom.

That night's patrol had not gone as planned. One of the muggers had managed to get a few good hits while another had broken his wrist before Peter had webbed them up.

Mr. Stark hadn't been too pleased when he'd swung over to the Compound using that same broken wrist. The man had all but dragged him to the MedBay to patch him up whilst lecturing him about calling for backup.

_Parker, what part of 'don't do dumb shit' do you not understand? Geez kid, I've never met anyone so goddamn stubborn. You're grounded for a week, period._

At that time, Peter had argued as best as he could, but now he grinned goofily that Mr. Stark cared about him enough to worry and even yell when he did something stupid.

The man had warned him that if he broke curfew once again, he would be spending the rest of his summer break polishing the Iron Man suits.

He'd already managed one dangerous escapade last month and had ended up getting turned into a six year old. Sure, that had been taken care of, but Peter never seemed to hear the end of it.

Not to mention the pictures. Mr. Stark seemed to have an endless supply of embarrassing pictures.

But it wasn't all bad. Things had changed after that. Peter felt more comfortable than ever around him and the man himself had turned into a total Dad.

After he'd been released from the MedBay, the billionaire had brought him to the kitchen where he had eaten a bit of dinner. Then he'd been shooed to bed with a gentle squeeze to the back of his neck and an undeniably fond _get some sleep, kid._

That felt like ages ago.

He was sleepy and tired but couldn't sleep. It was horrible.

"Hey FRIDAY, could you turn on the lights please?"

"Of course, Peter."

The room was illuminated immediately and Peter blinked owlishly, as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Nearly one-thirty.

Bracing himself, Peter lifted up his shirt to inspect the state of his torso.

The bruising was definitely better. He'd probably be sore for a few hours longer and then he would heal completely. His broken wrist would also be fine within a day.

"FRIDAY, is Mr. Stark awake?"

"Yes, Boss is awake. I also took the liberty of informing him that you are also awake, Peter."

Peter groaned and threw himself back into a sleeping position again. "Thanks a lot, FRIDAY. Now Mr. Stark's gonna worry and it's your fault."

"I'm sorry, Peter," the AI sounded far from sorry. If anything, she sounded rather amused (if that was even possible). "It's part of the Nighty-Night Protocol."

As expected, Peter heard soft footfalls along the corridor outside so he shut his eyes and turned away from the door. There was a knock on the door before it opened.

"Wanna tell me why you can't sleep?"

When Peter didn't answer, Mr. Stark walked into the room and sat down on his bed.

He expected the man to poke him in the side or try and tickle him, but he was rather surprised when he felt cool, slightly calloused fingers brushing his hair back. When the same hand gently squeezed his shoulder, Peter rolled over and opened his eyes. "Hi," he whispered, suddenly feeling like a little kid all over again.

"Hey," the genius replied, voice laden with fondness. "Nightmares bothering you again?"

He shook his head. "Can't sleep."

"Hmm. Not tired? Because that can't be it. You were ready to keel over during dinner."

Peter rolled his eyes. "I wasn't gonna _keel_ over, Mr. Stark. And you say I'm dramatic. I'll probably fall asleep in a while, it's nothing I guess."

The man just hummed in response. Kid probably just needed some company.

There was silence in the room and neither said anything. Eventually, Peter's breathing grew heavier and the man was positive the kid was somewhere far away in dreamland.

Tony brushed Peter's hair off his face and leaned down to press a quick kiss to the kid's forehead. "Sweet dreams, kiddo."

Just then his phone buzzed, indicating a text message. Frowning, he pulled it out, wondering who the hell was texting him at this hour.

He read the message once. Twice. And yet again just to be sure.

All that work he'd put in on those fucking Accords had finally paid off.

It really was happening. They were coming back.

*****

Peter yawned and rolled over on to his stomach. He shoved his face into the pillow, trying to shield his eyes from the light streaming in from the window.

"FRIDAY, wh't time's it?"

"It's currently 11:15 am, Peter."

"What? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"According to the Nighty-Night Protocol, you're supposed to complete a minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep at least four times a week and you were falling behind."

Peter groaned into his pillow. He really needed to talk to Mr. Stark about renaming those protocols.

But then again, he wasn't complaining about the extra sleep. He'd been up late last night, working on some updates with his mentor. Mr. Stark had been occupied with something on his mind but Peter hadn't been brave enough to ask. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how to without sounding like he was intruding.

Well, hopefully the following day would be better.

He dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom.

He walked into the living room to find Mr. Stark on the phone.

"Yeah, May. Don't worry, he's behaving himself. Absolutely. Mmhm... okay. Sure thing, take care. Talk soon."

"What were you talking about me?" Peter asked in lieu of a greeting.

The genius turned around and grinned at him. "Nothing much. Your aunt just wanted to know if you were being a good boy. You're lucky I didn't tell her about you swinging around past your bedtime two nights ago."

Peter felt his cheeks heat up. Trust the man to make him sound like a five year old. "For the last time, Mr. Stark, it's curfew not bedtime."

"Sure thing, Underoos. You're lucky I like you, kid."

"Oh please, you love me, Mr. Stark."

The man made a poor attempt of hiding his fond smile. "Yeah, yeah don't go around getting cocky about it."

They were halfway through brunch when Mr. Stark spoke.

"Kid, there's something we need to talk about."

Peter immediately combed his mind to find anything that might land him in trouble. "What did I do now? If this is about the tear in my suit from two nights ago, I swear I was gonna tell you about it."

"No i— Wait a sec. You tore your suit? Again? Th— you know what? We'll circle back to that later. So you know how I've been busy the last couple of months with the whole Accords shtick?"

Not really sure where this was headed, Peter nodded.

"I managed to settle the business last week."

"That's great news, Mr. Stark!" Peter knew how many sleepless nights the man had spent trying to figure out those Accords.

"It is a relief, not gonna deny it. The Rogues were pardoned as well. So they're uh... they're coming here."

Peter's hand stilled. "What do you mean here?"

"Here as in the Compound. Not all of them, just two."

"Oh. Which two? Peter tried to make his words sound as casual as possible.

"Barnes and Rogers."

_Rogers_

A hot ball of anger formed in Peter's stomach when he heard that name.

He hated that man. Hated him with every fibre of his being. Captain Rogers was a liar and an ungrateful friend. Not to mention, a killer.

Peter knew everything. Everything.

But his mentor didn't know that he knew.

"Why? Why do they have to come here?"

"It's not permanent. You won't be seeing them at all, kid. They're gonna be on another floor itself."

Peter didn't want him in the whole building itself, let alone another floor. New York was a big place. They could find accommodation literally anywhere else.

How could Mr. Stark be okay with this? After everything that Captain Rogers had done to him?

"Why would you let them back in here? They don't iesnt deserve your generosity. Especially not Captain Rogers. Not after what he did."

"What a—" The man froze. "You know."

It wasn't a question.

Peter realised there was no point in denying it.

"Yes."

"How long have you known?" He didn't sound angry. Just resigned.

"Nearly three weeks." Peter felt his mouth drying up as his nervousness came on. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. I didn't mean to find out, really. I was messing around in the lab with some stuff when I sorta just... stumbled into it. I swear I wasn't going through your personal files. It was an accident. Look, just please don't be mad. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I didn't want you to have to go through everything again."

Tony sighed heavily as he heard the kid's confession. He wasn't angry. He could never be truly angry at Peter. It was his fault anyway. He should've hidden the file deeper. He hadn't taken the extra precaution since no one else used his personal lab. It was just him and only recently Peter.

He didn't blame the kid. God knew how many times he himself had accidentally found old files while doing research.

He hadn't told anyone about what had happened at the bunker. Pepper and Rhodey obviously knew. They'd found out when he'd shown up all beaten up and shattered.

He hadn't been able to hold it in when he'd seen his two favourite people. The truth had just spilled out.

He was only sorry the kid had to see all that. He hadn't been at his best and the last thing he'd wanted was for Peter to see that side of him.

"It wasn't Barnes' fault. He wasn't himself." It had taken him a while to believe those words.

But he didn't blame him. Not anymore. James Barnes was a victim.

Rogers was a different story altogether.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, kid."

The kid looked at him incredulously. "With all due respect, Mr. Stark, that's total bullshit."

Tony raised a surprised eyebrow at the kid. Peter Parker never swore. It was actually a little disturbing to hear.

"It wasn't your fault. You were angry. Just like anyone in your place would've been. It's Captain Rogers' fault. He lied. He hurt you. If anyone should be sorry, it's definitely him. So don't you dare blame yourself."

Tony stared at the kid with a mixture of fondness and gratitude. "When did you get so smart, Underoos?"

Peter grinned at him mischievously. "What can I say? I have a great mentor."

The genius rolled his eyes, secretly pleased and ruffled the kid's hair. "Couldn't agree more." He then pulled on Peter's ear. "And don't swear. It's unbecoming."

The kid shot him a look. "Seriously? You're saying this?"

"I can pull it off. You're six."

"That was a month ago."

"Whatever, kid."

Peter was silent for a while before he spoke up again. "So they're really coming back? Mr. Stark, will you be okay?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the kid that he'd be fine, but he caught himself just in time.

The betrayal still simmered and reared it's ugly head up once in a while and there were those few odd nights where the nightmares were bad.

But other than that, he _felt_ okay. Sure, his life had been turned upside down a couple of months ago but he was better now. Honestly.

"I am okay, kid. Promise."

Peter relaxed at that. "Okay. So when are they coming?"

"Tonight.”

“Oh. Well, I want you to know that I’m on your side, Mr. Stark. Always.”

_Geez, kid sure knew exactly what so say._

  
“So how about we fix that suit of yours today?”  
  


The Spiderling nodded, looking mildly sheepish.

"Good boy. Now grab your suit and get your ass down to the lab."

"Yes sir!"

******

Normal.

For a long time that word hadn't existed for Bucky Barnes. He'd forgotten what it meant. He wasn't sure if he knew any better now.

Sure all those months of treatment in Wakanda's labs had cured him significantly, but he didn't really feel like a person.

Sometimes when he lay in bed at night, unable to sleep, his mind flashed back to simpler times.

He tried to be better for Steve, truly he did. But every time Steve looked at him with those goddamn hopeful blue eyes of his, Bucky felt crushed by the weight on his shoulders to be... normal.

He wasn't that person anymore. The Bucky that Steve had known was charming, laid back and confident.

The new Bucky was anything but confident, he couldn't carry on a decent conversation if his life depended on it and he was the definition of awkward, always nervous and unsure.

He was a mere shell of a man: consumed by the guilt and weight of his heinous sins.

And with each passing second, his nervousness only grew.

_Why_?

Because with each passing second, the jet in which he had been put on was taking him farther away from Wakanda and closer to New York which meant right into the home of Tony Stark.

Now, Steve didn't know this but Bucky was fucking terrified of him. Or more specifically, he was terrified of facing him. And ashamed.

Bucky wasn't stupid. He knew damn well that Stark could've killed him and Steve in the bunker that night without breaking a sweat.

But he hadn't.

_Which makes him twice the man you'll ever be._

After everything that had happened between them, he would be living under the man's roof.

The moment he'd gotten on the jet, he'd promised himself one thing: if Stark tried to kill him this time, Bucky would submit. He wouldn't fight the man, he'd surrender. Because God knew he didn't deserve to be alive after everything he'd done.

With a painful grunt, he flexed his new metal arm. Princess Shuri has designed it so it was amazing: super strength, better mobility and response. But it didn't exactly feel right. Some days his shoulder hurt worse than others but he didn't complain. He could deal with a little pain. After all, he deserved far worse.

He looked to his right where Steve was staring out of the window, deep in thought and his brow furrowed.

"Steve? You okay?"

They were the only ones on the jet. The others had gone separate ways. Lang and Barton had gone back to their families, Wanda was off to meet Vision and Natasha... well no one ever knew where she was.

Steve had nowhere to go and neither did Bucky.

That was just an excuse. The main reason being Steve had said he wanted to make amends.

The blond man turned to face him. "I will be, Buck. Once I've seen him. I need to make things right, to apologise. He didn't even call."

Bucky raised a disbelieving eyebrow at his best friend.

"Are you for real? Did you honestly expect him to pick up the phone and call you? We beat him up and ran like cowards. We left him for dead, Steve! Dead!"

And just like that, Steve's face crumpled with guilt. "I know," he whispered. "He needs to know, Buck. He needs to know how much I regret what I did. Everything. The lying, the fighting... all of it. I don't expect forgiveness. Not after... I just want him to know that I'm sorry. I truly am."

Bucky sighed heavily and leaned his head back against the seat.

Steve wasn't the only one.


	2. Chapter 2

Bucky trailed after Steve as the two of them followed the man who'd met them at the hangar.

They hadn't received any form of greeting from the stranger other than a stiff nod. He'd then turned around, expecting them to follow.

The walk to wherever they were headed was an uncomfortable one and trepidation churned in Bucky's stomach.

Steve had tried asking some questions, but he'd stopped when he had received only monosyllabic replies.

Their guide seemed to be a real chatty guy.

They were in the Avengers Compound, that much was clear. Although it was called the Avengers Compound, the entire thing was solely owned by Tony Stark.

They approached the main building. It was dark and quite late so all the employees had already left. He was thankful for that. The unwanted stares always made him want to find a hole and hide.

When they reached the elevator corridor, the silent man pulled out a card from his pocket and scanned it.

"Happy Hogan, Head of security. Access granted."

Under other circumstances, Bucky might've cracked a smile at the guy's name. He certainly didn't seem to fit the bill.

They got into the elevator and Hogan pressed the button to the 34th floor.

The head of security addressed them without turning around. "Some basic ground rules: don't wander on to any of the R&D floors and private quarters. All of Tony's personal labs and workshops are off limits." He handed both of them a plastic card. "Secondly, these are your access passes, lose them and you can spend the night in the lobby."

Bucky's lips quirked upward in amusement. He had a feeling the man wasn't joking.

"FRIDAY is off limits as well. If your order any package, you'll have to go down and collect it yourself. Any questions? No? Great."

Bucky was starting to like the guy. But he didn't understand what the man meant by Fridays were off limits. "Um... why are Fridays off limits?"

The man snorted. "FRIDAY?"

A disembodied female voice literally spoke from above. "Yes, Happy?"

Bucky nearly jumped out of his skin.

"FRIDAY is an AI designed by Tony. She's been installed everywhere inside the building. She's off limits. You can't give any orders to her."

The elevator doors opened into a living room and Happy stepped out. "Here's your stop. Stick to the rules and you'll be fine."

Bucky looked around the room. It was luxurious, spacious and exactly how he'd imagined a guy like Tony Stark's house would be.

"Um, when... when do we get to see Tony?" Steve asked.

Bucky saw the man's shoulders stiffen imperceptibly. "I'm not sure."

Happy stepped into the elevator and the doors closed before Steve could get another word in.

"Maybe we'll get to see him tomorrow."

Bucky highly doubted that, but he didn't voice his doubts. He didn't want to crush Steve's hope.

Steve wasn't the only hopeful one.

Bucky himself wanted nothing more than to beg for Stark's forgiveness.

*****

"Boss, Captain Rogers and Sgt. Barnes have been assigned the thirty fourth floor."

Tony paused his work. That was only one floor below him. Part of him was tempted to go and see them, to know how they were getting on. But a bigger part of him wasn't ready to get over the betrayal.

The last time he'd seen Rogers, the man had slammed a big ass shield into his chest.

He knew he couldn't avoid the man forever, but he wasn't all that eager to go and talk to him either.

"Mr. Stark?"

Tony felt himself smile at the voice. He could never be low when the kid was around.

"What's up, Underoos?"

"Aunt May wanted to know if it was okay if I could stay here for a couple more days. Her night shift was extended for another week."

"Of course, kid. You never have to ask. Tell her she's always welcome to dump her idiot nephew at my place." He ruffled the kid's hair with a fond grin.

"Wow, I can really feel the love, Mr. Stark."

_That's because you are loved, Spiderbaby._

"Glad to hear it."

"So Ned was wondering if I could drop by his place later. I told him I'd come in after breakfast. We'll be finished in the evening so I'll swing back at around six. Is that okay?"

"Sure thing, Petey-Pie. I've gotta show up at SI tomorrow so I'll give you a ride."

"Thanks. And I thought we agreed you'd never use that nickname again?"

"Sorry what? Can't hear ya, Petey-Pie."

"You're cruel."

"I've been called much worse."

From the corner of his eye, he could see the kid shaking his head and he smirked.

"So, Captain Rogers and Mr. Barnes... did they arrive?"

"Yeah. FRIDAY told me they've settled in alright."

"Um... okay. Good. Mr. Stark, if you wanna talk, I'm here."

"I know, kiddo."

"So... I was thinking I'd head out now?"

"FRIDAY, what time is it?"

"It's 10:20 pm, Boss."

Not too late then. "Yeah okay, kid. But I want you back before one thirty. And you'll call for backup if it gets too much. No negotiations. Capiche?"

"For the hundredth time, yes Your Majesty." Peter replied with an exaggerated bow.

"And yet it never seems to get into your head. But for real, Spiderboy, be careful." He pointed a stern finger at Peter.

"Promise."

Tony's sternness melted into an indulgent grin and he tapped the back of the kid's head. "I'll hold you to that. Now get outta here, I've got actual work to do apart from babysitting a Spiderling."

******

Bucky stood at the threshold of his room and took a look around. It was spacious but not overly large and minimally furnished. There was a double bed in the middle with a wardrobe to the right of it and a desk on the left. There was another door that led to the bathroom.

Tentatively he took a step inside. He half expected someone to suddenly appear out of thin air and kick him out.

He then felt stupid for thinking like that.

He stood in the middle of the room and took a deep breath. It was quiet. Bucky liked quiet. He liked peace.

He then went to the window and looked out. It was a clear night, and he felt the pleasant breeze on his skin. He lean—what was that? He could've sworn it was a person flyin— no, _swinging_ from one building to another.

Bucky narrowed his eyes as he tried to get a better look at the... _hold on a damn second!_

Bucky was willing to bet his only good arm that it was that same Spider-guy they'd encountered in Germany.

He watched the guy get smaller as he got further away. And then he finally disappeared.

Shaking his head, he sat down heavily on the bed. That was some crazy stuff he'd just seen. He didn't think he would ever see the Spider-guy again. But then again, he shouldn't be so surprised.

He'd fought on Stark's side after all. Maybe the two of them were still in touch.

With a sigh, he went to the wardrobe and opened it, in order to dump his duffel bag inside. That's all the possessions he had.

He stopped short when he looked inside. The wardrobe actually had clothes in it. Not a lot, but enough. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched the fabric.

It was soft. Much softer than what he was used to.

Still wondering if he was doing something wrong, he shucked off his shirt, wincing when his left shoulder hurt.

He glanced at it and flinched. The skin on his shoulder, around the metal arm had turned an angry red. It was swollen and aching. With a grunt, he tugged the soft grey sweatshirt over his head and pulled on some sweatpants. Ever since he'd been out of cyro, he preferred clothing that was loose and didn't cling to his skin. They were comfortable and made him feel at ease.

He went to the bed and sat down. It was around eleven o' clock and he'd count himself lucky if he could grab at least four hours of sleep.

His stomach rumbled and he debated if he should go to the kitchen and fix himself a snack. But then the bed was starting to get real comfortable. So he curled up on his right side and tucked himself completely   
under the comforter.

He couldn't help but wonder what the next few days had in store for him.  
  


The next morning, he came out of his room to see Steve eating cereal. "Slept okay, Buck?"

He shrugged in lieu of a reply. He hadn't slept well, not really. Somewhere in the middle of the night, his arm had started to hurt so he'd tossed and turned in bed for the rest of the night.

"I'm thinking I'm gonna go out today," he started.

"Out? Where?" Steve asked.

"I don't really know I suppose. I've gotta find something to do or I'll go crazy. I was thinking of searching for a job or something."

"A job?"

"Yeah. Can't sit around all day doing nothing. I'll lose my damn mind," he shuddered at the mere thought.

Besides, they were living in a luxury apartment rent free. The least they could do was keep the shelves stocked and the supplies coming. He didn't wanna be a freeloader.

They already owed Stark their lives. He didn't want to be further indebted to that man. He'd already been too kind to them.

"What kind of job?"

"Honestly? I've got no idea."

They'd both been given an envelope in which there was some money. He was determined to spend it wisely.

He helped himself to some breakfast. "What about you, Steve. Whatcha gonna do?"

"I uh... I'm not sure."

"Well Don't do anything stupid."

After he was done eating, he cleared away his plate and went to the elevator. "I'll see ya in the evening, Steve."

He checked his pocket to make sure he had the card that had been given to them yesterday and stepped inside.

He got out on the lobby and that's when he realised, he had absolutely no idea on how he'd get out. He didn't even know the way out of the Compound.

He could always ask at the help desk.

He got there and while he was waiting for the people in front of him to finish, the elevator doors sprang open and his heart nearly froze.

Tony Stark stepped out and he wasn't alone. There was a kid with him who couldn't have been older than fifteen. He was a little shorter than the billionaire with curly brown hair and he had a backpack on. The two were talking animatedly as they made their way out.

He turned his face away, his heart beating far too loudly in his chest.

The kid said something and Stark laughed and ruffled his hair. There was something... something about the way he looked at the boy, a certain sparkling fondness in his eyes.

That kid was his son.

Bucky felt like he'd been sucker-punched.

Stark had a child.

Had he and Steve nearly orphaned that boy who was standing only a few paces away, content and laughing with his father?

The Soldier had killed several others before. But this felt more personal.

Fucking hell, he didn't deserve to be alive.

He watched as a sleek black vehicle pulled up in front. The Hogan guy stepped out of the driver's seat before circling around to open the door.

The kid got in and Stark was just about to as well, when his eyes landed on Bucky.

_Oh shit shit shit shit shit!_

His mouth went dry and the air was sucked out of him. His brain was urging him, nearly screaming at him that now was his chance! He should go and say _something_ , but his legs didn't want to move. It was as though they'd forgotten how to function and his mouth had forgotten how to speak. For all his eagerness to apologise, he had no damn clue what he'd say to the genius.

_Hey, sorry about your parents. No hard feelings?_

_Oh and thanks for letting us stay in your super luxurious building?_

Apparently all power of speech had left him.

The expression on Stark's face was inscrutable: no anger, fear, nothing. It was perfectly blank.

And then Stark looked away and got into the car.

And then they were gone.

 _Shit_.

_Great job, Barnes. Nicely done. Let's just freeze up every time you see him because that's a fantastic way to show that you're sorry._

*****

Steve was getting restless. He'd spent the entire day doing pretty much nothing. Bucky hadn't returned from wherever he'd gone to and Steve didn't know what to do with all the time. He'd tried to watch some TV but his mind hadn't been in it.

He wanted to find Tony and talk to him, apologise for everything that had gone wrong between them. He needed to _talk_ to the man. More than anything. The Initially after Siberia, he'd blamed the Accords for tearing apart the Avengers.

But the Accords has just been the decoy. They could have worked it out. Tony had been willing to talk it out and find a feasible solution.

But Steve hadn't listened.

He'd been so sure that he was right and Tony was wrong that he'd gone blind. He hadn't listened to anyone and had ploughed on foolishly, dragging his teammates with him.

And then Siberia happened.

He'd lied to someone who had been good to him all along, kept an unforgivable secret from him.

He remembered the agony in Tony's eyes and the singular question that had destroyed him: _did you know?_

He'd taken advantage of everything Tony had selflessly given. Tony was his teammate and friend. And yet, he'd mercilessly slammed his shield into the man's chest and fled like a coward.

He regretted his actions everyday. Once they had reached Wakanda, he'd come to his senses and realised how stupid he had been all along. Tony hadn't deserved any of it.

He had to make things right. There was a good chance, right? Tony had allowed him and Bucky back into the Compound so he couldn't be all that mad anymore?

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was around seven so he hoped Tony was in his lab. Happy had told them the previous day that all floors were off limits.

But it was worth a shot.

If he spoke to Tony, he was certain they could make things okay again.

Gathering his nerves, he took his key card and got into the elevator. Steve thought about what he would say when he saw the man.

The elevator opened onto a wide corridor. There was a glass door a couple of feet ahead of him with a slot for a key card.

No sooner had he taken a couple of steps into the corridor than a disembodied female voice spoke from the ceiling. "Captain Rogers, you do not have the clearance to enter the lab."

He felt mildly embarrassed, like a little child caught doing something wrong. "Oh... right, sorry. I want to see Tony. Could you ask him to let me in?"

Until that moment, Steve hadn't known that even AIs were capable of expressing disapproval. But then again, Tony never did anything halfway.

He stood there for nearly five minutes with only silence for company.

The glass doors slid apart, revealing a teenager instead of the superhero he'd been expecting. He was around fifteen maybe, kinda short with an untameable mop of brown curls and chocolate eyes.

And he didn't look surprised or impressed when he saw Captain America waiting outside.

On the contrary, he appeared visibly displeased.

The kid crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow at Steve. "I thought Happy told you that this floor is off limits?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a great time writing this chapter. More of the plot will unfold next chapter.
> 
> Next chapter, we'll get to see Peter's interaction with Steve. How do you think its gonna go?
> 
> I'm working on the it so until then, stay safe and let me know what you thought about this one.
> 
> :) :)


	3. Chapter 3

Okay. Definitely not what he had in mind.

"Uh... hi. I know. I'm uh... I'm looking for Tony. Could you call him please?" He asked.

"You're not supposed to be here," the kid repeated in that same unimpressed tone.

"Uh... I'm sorry, who are you again? Have we... have we met before?"

Steve could have sworn he'd heard the kid's voice somewhere before. He just wasn't able to put his finger on it.

"I'm Peter and no, you don't know me. But what you do know is that you aren't authorised to enter the lab. Besides, Mr. Stark isn't here right now."

He frowned, he hadn't expected to be rebuffed so bluntly. He was almost certain that he knew this boy. For some reason, the kid was upset with him. For the life of him, he didn't know why.

"Tony isn't here? And how exactly do you know him?"

"I work here."

The short, vague answers were starting to get to him. He was here to apologise to Tony, not argue with some random kid.

"You work here? You know what, forget it. Look ki—"

"You're quite bold, you know?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You've got some nerve, to come down here and demand to see Mr. Stark. Especially after everything you've done."

Steve felt a heavy knot in his stomach. There was no way this kid knew what he was talking about. "What? You don't k—"

"I know, Captain Rogers. I know everything. What happened in Siberia, how you kept the truth from him and what you did later. While it's true that Mr. Barnes hadn't been in the right frame of mind, _you_ were. You were in complete control of your actions. I know how you beat Mr. Stark up and left him to freeze to death."

Steve flinched at the kid's harsh but true words. He had done all that.

"Did... did he tell you that?" His voice was scarcely above a whisper.

"No. He didn't tell me anything."

Steve didn't have an answer for that.

The kid walked closer and Steve somehow felt intimidated by the teenager who was over half a foot shorter than him. "He could have killed you, you know. I saw the footage. Yet he chose not to. You didn't seem to have any problem trying. You hurt him once already, Captain Rogers. He went through a lot because of what you did. He wasn't able to close his eyes before that damn shield slammed into him. You betrayed him, you broke his trust, you left him for dead! I won't let you hurt him again."

The boy's chest was heaving by the end of his angry tirade. There was a steely determination in the kid's eyes, a fire burning so intense that it unnerved Steve to the core. What surprised him most was the fierce protectiveness in the teenager's stance. It was as though his very being promised retribution should Steve so much as breathe the wrong way.

_Who was this boy?_

He gulped twice before speaking.

"I'm not here to hurt him. I swear. I just want to tell him how sorry I am for everything. I was an idiot. Tony didn't deserve to be treated that way."

"Of course he didn't."

"He's always been nothing but kind and generous. After I came out of the ice, he was my teammate, fellow Avenger... he was my friend."

"Was he? Was he ever really?" Peter's voice was hard and rightfully so.

"He was. I was just too blind to see it."

"Well duh."

Steve took a long look at the teen. This boy was obviously close to Tony. And for some reason, there was a striking similarity between the two of them. He didn't know what it was, but they had to be connected in some way.

"Are you Tony's kid?" He blurted out.

That question caught the boy off guard. "I uh... yeah. I guess I am. Sorta."

Oh. Apart form the rather weird reply, it made perfect sense that the boy in front of him was Tony's son. There was no physical resemblance between them though so he could only assume that Peter looked like his mother, whoever she was.

But then he remembered that the kid had referred to Tony as Mr. Stark. He mentally shook his head because the nature of Tony’s connection to the kid wasn’t any of his business.

He now understood Peter's anger at him as well as his sharp words.

"I _am_ sorry, Peter. You may not believe me now, but I am. And there's nothing I want more than to make things right with your dad."

Peter regraded him for almost a whole minute and Steve willed himself to stand straight whilst under the boy's scrutiny.

"You really are sorry?"

"I am."

"Well... he really isn't here right now."

"Oh, so w—"

"But even if he is, he will decide when and _if_ he wants to see you. I know him, Captain Rogers. He is very forgiving and I won't let that kindness be taken for granted. I won't. Not anymore. He won't be hurt again, not while I'm here. Do you understand?"

Steve felt a spark of respect on hearing the kid's firm and dare he say warning tone and suppressed the instinct to stand tall and say _yes sir_ and decided to nod instead. "I understand."

"Good. You should get going now. I've got work to do."

"Right... okay."

Steve wasn't sure if he'd ever received such a dressing down. And it certainly hadn't been from a fifteen year old.

Just before the kid could go back inside, Steve called out to him. "I know it's probably not worth much, since you're hearing it from me; but Tony is lucky to have you in his corner."

"Thanks, Captain. Although I'm luckier." The kid didn't return his smile, but his stance softened a bit.

******

Tony could feel the exhaustion creeping into his bones as he got back home. It had been a long day and an arduous one. The meetings had taken longer than he'd anticipated.

That and seeing Bucky Barnes in the lobby that morning.

Now rationally, he knew that it wasn't the Soldier but he'd still tensed up. It had been more of instinct than anything else.

Barnes hadn't resembled the dangerous soldier he'd seen in that painful footage of that horrible night. Not one bit.

In fact, he'd looked quite lost, nervous even. Tony had felt pity for the man.

He entered the living room to find the kid curled up on the sofa watching TV.

"Hey, Underoos. When did you get back from Ted's?"

"Ned, Mr. Stark. You've gotta stop pretending like you don't remember. I came back in the evening and then went down to the lab."

"Do anything new?"

"Nope. Nothing at all.I just went downstairs to hang out with DUM-E."

"So, whatcha binging?"

"Downton Abbey."

He snickered. "I see. Happy got you too, didn't he?"

"Yup. I surrendered and haven't been able to stop watching it ever since. May's already on the third season so I've gotta catch up. And then we'll watch the movie too. Happy said it's awesome."

"Sure, kid. Anything interesting happen today?"

"Nope. Nothing interesting at all. Zero, zilch, nada."

"Okay... You hungry?"

"Duh."

"Thai?"

"Duh."

Rolling his eyes at Peter, Tony brushed a hand through the kid's hair as he walked by. "Give me ten minutes and order some Thai. And don't you dare turn on Brooklyn -99 before I come back. I'm not sure if I can pardon such a grave offence twice.

"Sure thing, Mr. Stark."

******

Bucky yawned and rubbed his tired eyes. He'd actually had a good day.

He'd gone into the city, taken a walk in the park, bought some plums. He still didn't know what to do about a job though.

He'd turned the TV on after dinner and he liked the show. It was a funny one about a bunch of NYPD detectives.

He glanced over at Steve who seemed to be deep in thought. "Steve? What's on your mind?"

"I went to see Tony today."

"Oh." That one word weighed a lot. "How'd it go?"

"He wasn't there. I met someone else though. I think Tony has a son."

"You spoke to the kid?" Bucky recalled the curly haired kid he'd seen that morning.

To his surprise, Steve flushed, his ears turning pink. "That's one word for it. You think Tony will ever forgive us?"

Bucky sat up straighter at that. He recalled the expression on Stark's face that morning: unreadable.

"You? Maybe. Me? Never."

If only he knew how wrong he was.

The next week passed smoothly.

He went into the city almost everyday. He liked the freedom, the lack of pressure or a hostile environment. He'd gone to a supermarket and bought some ingredients he needed for pie.

He'd always held a certain fondness for desserts and as a child, he'd love to watch his mother bake.

He would sit on the kitchen platform in their little house and when he was a little taller, he was sometimes allowed to mix the ingredients. He'd do it with utmost concentration, as though it was the most important task in the world. When he'd finish, his motherwould often drop a quick kiss to his forehead.

The memory was a vague one so he made sure he to hold on to it tightly. He didn't want to forget anymore good memories.

On his way out of the supermarket, he'd helped an elderly lady carry her groceries to the car. She's thanked him and for some reason, two little words and a smile had made him choke up.

Bucky didn't see Stark at all but he did see the man's son a couple of mornings in the lobby, probably waiting for Hogan.

He'd also noticed that the kid whose name was Peter was clearly liked by all the employees.

One of the mornings, the boy had caught Bucky staring, and whilst the former soldier had felt himself redden with embarrassment, the kid had simply given him a small wave and a smile. Bucky didn't have to know him to understand that he was a good kid.

He would always return to the compound in time for dinner and he and Steve would eat together.

He'd discovered that he enjoyed cooking. Nothing too complex or gourmet, but he had found that he could make a mean lasagne and a grilled chicken.

Bucky cooked while Steve would help where he could. They would turn on something on the tv (he quite liked this Netflix thing that had been invented) and eat.

That night, it was no different.

Their dinner had been delayed a bit since Steve— _you stupid punk_ —had nearly burnt the chicken, but Bucky had managed to salvage it.

They ate in a companionable silence, exchanging only a word or two.

"How come you haven't tried to see Stark again?" Bucky asked as he mutilated a stubborn chunk of his food.

Steve had been quite adamant on wanting to meet the billionaire and say his piece. But after his initial failed attempt last week, the man hadn't given it another shot.

"Oh, about that...," was it Bucky's imagination or did Steve look rather sheepish?

"I realised it would be better to give Tony some space. There's nothing more I want than to talk things through and work it all out. But if that's gonna take a while, then so be it. I wanna give him time before trying to approach him again."

Bucky raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected that from his impossibly stubborn best friend. It "When did you get so smart, Steve?"

Steve shot him an unamused glare. "Funny." Bucky still didn’t get why the other man was as red as a tomato, but he did not pry.

They did the dishes and cleaned up after which the blond declared that he was going to bed. "Don't stay up too late, Buck."

Bucky didn't bother mentioning the tiny fact that he hardly slept anyway. His stupid shoulder acted up almost every night and when it didn't, he spent his time tossing in bed. He was lucky to catch two hours of sleep.

"Yeah, yeah, Mom. Go to bed."

Once he was alone, he put on a movie. It was the second _Home Alone_ movie. He'd liked the first one.

He relaxed into the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. He felt comfortable. He'd opened the large window in the living room and the cool nighttime breeze would occasionally blow inside.

Halfway through the movie, he began to nod off and his head lolled against the headrest. It was one of the good nights. His prosthetic arm wasn't hurting his shoulder all that bad and he'd managed to find a comfortable position.

A crash from behind startled him out of his drowsiness. He was alert and on his feet in an instant.

He turned around, ready to fight anything, although his flesh hand shook as he balled it into a fist.

He didn't want to fight.

He never wanted to fight again.

What he saw was not even close to what he'd expected. It wasn't a burglar, it wasn't a murderer. The intruder was Spiderman.

Or more specifically, it was Peter Parker in the Spiderman suit, sans the mask, which was tightly clutched in his hand. "Sorry about the jug, Mr. S-- "

The boy's eyes landed on Bucky and widened to the size of saucers.

"You're not Mr. Stark." Peter swayed on his feet and glanced down at the crimson liquid seeping through his suit's right leg and dripping on to the cream coloured carpet.

And then the kid fell face first into the sofa.

_Shit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Peter’s in trouble again...
> 
> More of our favourite boys coming up in the next chapter! Btw, was I the only one who enjoyed writing Protective!Peter?

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s the first chapter. Let me know what you think about it. If you guys have read my previous works, you will know I’m a sucker for Irondad fluff. 
> 
> More interaction between the characters coming up in the next chapter. 
> 
> Happy ending guaranteed!
> 
> Comment!


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